Brandon Nakashima

Brandon Nakashima

Nakashima at the 2022 French Open
Country (sports)	United States
Residence	San Diego, California, United States
Born	(2001-08-03) 3 August 2001 (age 22) San Diego, California, United States
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Turned pro	2019
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
College	University of Virginia
Prize money	US $3,333,974
Singles
Career record	74–63 (54.0% in ATP World Tour and Grand Slam main draw matches, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles	1
Highest ranking	No. 43 (October 17, 2022)
Current ranking	No. 68 (May 20, 2024)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	1R (2022, 2023)
French Open	3R (2022)
Wimbledon	4R (2022)
US Open	3R (2022)
Doubles
Career record	5–9 (35.7% in ATP World Tour and Grand Slam main draw matches, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 264 (April 15, 2024)
Current ranking	No. 264 (April 15, 2024)
Grand Slam doubles results
Wimbledon	1R (2023)
US Open	1R (2021)
French Open  Junior	1R (2018)
Wimbledon  Junior	QF (2018)
Last updated on: 15 April 2024.

Brandon Nakashima (born August 3, 2001) is an American professional tennis player. He has been ranked as high as world No. 43 in singles by the ATP, which he achieved on October 17, 2022. On April 15, 2024, he reached a career-high doubles ranking of No. 264.

After graduating from High Bluff Academy in Rancho Santa Fe, he enrolled at the University of Virginia to play collegiate tennis, but chose to forgo his remaining years of eligibility after his first year. He has won one ATP singles title, as well as the 2022 Next Generation ATP Finals.

Junior career

As a junior, Nakashima was ranked as high as No. 3 in the world. In 2018, he won two titles on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior circuit and went on to win that year's ITF Junior Masters, the year-end tournament for the top-ranked junior singles players.

Collegiate career

Nakashima at the USTA 18s Nationals in 2018

Nakashima graduated from high school, High Bluff Academy in San Diego, a semester early, before enrolling at the University of Virginia in January 2019 at the age of 17. During his time at UVA, he finished the season with a 17–5 record in singles and 20–3 record in doubles. At the end of the season he received the ACC-Freshman of the Year and All-ACC First Team awards and was also a part of the All-ACC Academic Team. ^[1] After one semester he decided to forgo his remaining years of eligibility and turn professional.

Professional career

2020: First ATP main draw, Grand Slam debut

In February 2020, Nakashima received a wildcard into the Delray Beach Open (his first ATP main draw event), where he reached the quarterfinals, ^[2] defeating Jiří Veselý and Cameron Norrie before falling to Yoshihito Nishioka. ^[3]

Later in the year at the US Open (his Grand Slam main draw debut as a wildcard), Nakashima defeated Paolo Lorenzi ^[4] before being beaten by 5th seed and eventual runner-up, Alexander Zverev. ^[5]

2021: First two tour finals, Next Gen ATP Finals, top 70 debut

Nakashima at the 2021 Nottingham Open

Nakashima qualified into a Grand Slam main draw for the first time at Wimbledon. ^{[6] [7] [8]} He lost in the first round to compatriot and 31st seed, Taylor Fritz. ^[9]

Nakashima reached his first final in Los Cabos, where after beating J. J. Wolf, 4th seed Sam Querrey, 5th seed Jordan Thompson (after saving 3 match points), ^[10] and 2nd seed John Isner, ^[11] he lost to 1st seed Cameron Norrie in the final. ^[12] From this run, the 19-year-old Nakashima became the youngest American to reach an ATP final since a then 18-year-old Taylor Fritz got to the final of the Memphis Open in 2016.

A week later in Atlanta, Nakashima reached his second final in as many weeks but lost to 6th seed John Isner in the championship match. ^[13] As a result of this good run, Nakashima cracked the top 100 for the first time, coming in at world No. 89 on August 2, 2021, a day before his 20th birthday. ^[14]

As a qualifier at the 2021 European Open, he reached the quarterfinals where he lost to Diego Schwartzman. ^[15] As a result, he reached a new career-high ranking of No. 70 on October 25, 2021.

Nakashima qualified for the 2021 Next Generation ATP Finals as the fourth seed in recognition of his breakout success in the year among players aged 21 and under. ^[16] In his group, he notched wins against Juan Manuel Cerúndolo ^[17] and Holger Rune, ^[18] taking him to the semifinals, before he lost to eventual finalist Sebastian Korda in five sets. ^[19] He ended the year at a career-high of No. 62 and was nominated ATP Newcomer of the Year. ^[20]

2022: Major fourth round, top 50, maiden title, Next Gen champion

At the 2022 French Open, Nakashima reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time, where he lost to 3rd seed Alexander Zverev. ^[21]

At the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, he reached the fourth round of a Major for the first time in his career defeating Daniel Elahi Galán. ^[22] He lost a tight five-set contest to eventual runner-up Nick Kyrgios. ^[23] He reached the top 50 on July 11, 2022 at world No. 49.

Seeded fifth at his home tournament, the 2022 San Diego Open, he reached his third ATP final after defeating Christopher O'Connell. ^[24] In the final, he defeated Marcos Giron to win his first career title. ^{[25] [26]} He qualified for the 2022 Next Generation ATP Finals and won the title undefeated after beating Jack Draper in the semifinal ^[27] and Jiří Lehečka in the final. ^[28]

2023: Loss of form, Masters third round, Maiden top-5 win, out of top 150

He exited the top 100 on 25 September 2023 despite a second round showing at the 2023 Citi Open ^[29] and a third round at the 2023 Winston-Salem Open.

He received a wildcard for the Cincinnati Open. At the next Masters in Shanghai on his debut, he reached the third round for the first time in his career, defeating world No. 4 and third seed Holger Rune for his maiden top-10 and top-5 win. ^[30] Despite this result he fell out of the top 150 on 30 October 2023.

2024: Back to top 100, second top 10 win

He returned to the top 100 at No. 96 on 29 January 2024 following a title at the 2024 Tenerife Challenger, in Spain.

He received a wildcard for the 2024 BNP Paribas Open where he defeated Christopher Eubanks. ^[31] At the next Masters, the 2024 Miami Open, he reached the main draw after qualifying.

At the ATP 500 2024 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell he defeated second seed Andrey Rublev, for his second top 10 win in his career. ^{[32] [33] [34]}

World TeamTennis

Nakashima made his World TeamTennis debut in 2020 with the Chicago Smash for their inaugural season. ^[35]

Nakashima excelled in singles play for the Smash and also paired up with Rajeev Ram throughout the season in men's doubles to help Chicago earn a No. 2 seed in WTT Playoffs. The Smash defeated the Orlando Storm to earn a spot in the final, but ultimately fell to the New York Empire in a Supertiebreaker.

Personal life

Nakashima's father is a Japanese American born in California, while his mother was born in Vietnam and moved to California at age 5. ^{[36] [37]}

Performance timeline

Key

W

F

SF

QF

#R

RR

Q#

P#

DNQ

A

Z#

PO

G

S

B

NMS

NTI

P

NH

(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (P#) preliminary round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (Z#) Davis/Fed Cup Zonal Group (with number indication) or (PO) play-off; (G) gold, (S) silver or (B) bronze Olympic/Paralympic medal; (NMS) not a Masters tournament; (NTI) not a Tier I tournament; (P) postponed; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.

Singles

Current through the 2024 Italian Open.

Tournament	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	SR	W–L	Win%
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open	A	A	A	Q1	1R	1R	Q1	0 / 2	0–2	0%
French Open	A	A	Q1	Q1	3R	1R		0 / 2	2–2	50%
Wimbledon	A	A	NH	1R	4R	1R		0 / 3	3–3	50%
US Open	Q2	A	2R	2R	3R	1R		0 / 4	4–4	50%
Win–loss	0–0	0–0	1–1	1–2	7–4	0–4	0–0	0 / 11	9–11	45%
ATP Tour Masters 1000
Indian Wells Masters	Q1	A	NH	2R	2R	2R	2R	0 / 4	4–4	50%
Miami Open	A	A	NH	Q2	2R	2R	1R	0 / 3	2–3	40%
Monte-Carlo Masters	A	A	NH	A	A	A	A	0 / 0	0–0	–
Madrid Open	A	A	NH	A	Q1	A	1R	0 / 1	0–1	0%
Italian Open	A	A	A	A	1R	1R	1R	0 / 3	0–3	0%
Canadian Open	A	A	NH	A	1R	1R		0 / 2	0–2	0%
Cincinnati Masters	A	A	Q1	1R	1R	1R		0 / 3	0–3	0%
Shanghai Masters	A	A	NH			3R		0 / 1	2–1	67%
Paris Masters	A	A	A	A	1R	A		0 / 1	0–1	0%
Win–loss	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–2	2–6	4–6	1–4	0 / 18	8–18	31%
Career statistics
Tournaments	0	0	2	10	24	20	6	Career total: 62
Titles	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	Career total: 1
Finals	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	Career total: 3
Overall win–loss	0–0	0–0	3–2	17–12	35–23	13–20	5–6	1 / 62	73–63	54%
Year-end ranking	790	371	166	68	47	134

ATP career finals

Singles: 3 (1 title, 2 runner-ups)

Legend Grand Slam tournaments (0–0) ATP Tour Finals (0–0) ATP Tour Masters 1000 (0–0) ATP Tour 500 Series (0–0) ATP Tour 250 Series (1–2)

Finals by surface Hard (1–2) Clay (0–0) Grass (0–0)

Finals by setting Outdoor (1–2) Indoor (0–0)

Result	W–L	Date	Tournament	Tier	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	0–1	Jul 2021	Los Cabos Open, Mexico	250 Series	Hard	Cameron Norrie	2–6, 2–6
Loss	0–2	Jul 2021	Atlanta Open, United States	250 Series	Hard	John Isner	6–7(8–10), 5–7
Win	1–2	Sep 2022	San Diego Open, United States	250 Series	Hard	Marcos Giron	6–4, 6–4

ATP Next Generation finals

Singles: 1 (1 title)

Result	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	Nov 2022	Next Generation ATP Finals, Italy	Hard (i)	Jiří Lehečka	4–3(7–5), 4–3(8–6), 4–2

ATP Challenger and ITF Futures finals

Singles: 8 (6–2)

Legend ATP Challenger (4–2) ITF Futures (2–0)

Finals by surface Hard (6–2) Clay (0–0) Grass (0–0) Carpet (0–0)

Result	W–L	Date	Tournament	Tier	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	1–0	Sep 2018	USA F25, Laguna Niguel	Futures	Hard	Maxime Cressy	6–4, 6–4
Win	2–0	Jan 2020	M25 Rancho Santa Fe, USA	World Tennis Tour	Hard	Geoffrey Blancaneaux	6–3, 6–3
Win	3–0	Nov 2020	Orlando, United States	Challenger	Hard	Prajnesh Gunneswaran	6–3, 6–4
Win	4–0	Feb 2021	Quimper, France	Challenger	Hard (i)	Bernabé Zapata Miralles	6–3, 6–4
Win	5–0	Oct 2021	Brest, France	Challenger	Hard (i)	João Sousa	6–3, 6–3
Loss	5–1	Nov 2023	Danderyd, Sweden	Challenger	Hard (i)	Maximilian Marterer	6–2, 4–6, 3–6
Win	6–1	Jan 2024	Tenerife, Spain	Challenger	Hard	Pedro Martínez	6–3, 6–4
Loss	6–2	Jan 2024	Koblenz, Germany	Challenger	Hard (i)	Jurij Rodionov	7–6(9–7), 1–6, 2–6

Doubles: 3 (2–1)

Legend ATP Challenger (2–1) ITF Futures (0–0)

Finals by surface Hard (2–1) Clay (0–0) Grass (0–0) Carpet (0–0)

Result	W–L	Date	Tournament	Tier	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	0–1	Feb 2021	Quimper, France	Challenger	Hard (i)	Hunter Reese	Ruben Bemelmans Daniel Masur	2–6, 1–6
Win	1–1	Oct 2023	Bergamo, Italy	Challenger	Hard (i)	Evan King	Francisco Cabral Henry Patten	6–4, 7–6(7–1)
Win	2–1	Feb 2024	Pau, France	Challenger	Hard (i)	Christian Harrison	Romain Arneodo Sam Weissborn	7–6(7–5), 6–4

Wins over top 10 players

• He has a 2–6 (25.0%) record against players who were, at the time the match was played, ranked in the top 10.

Season	2019–22	2023	2024	Total
Wins	0	1	1	2

#	Player	Rank	Event	Surface	Rd	Score	BNR	Ref
2023
1.	Holger Rune	5	Shanghai Masters, China	Hard	2R	6–0, 6–2	122	[38]
2024
2.	Andrey Rublev	8	Barcelona Open, Spain	Clay	2R	6–4, 7–6(8–6)	87	[39]

References

1. "Brandon Nakashima". April 28, 2020. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
2. "Nakashima, 18, Reaches Delray Beach Quarter-finals In ATP Tour Debut". ATP Tour. February 19, 2020. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
3. "Nishioka Holds off Nakashima in Delray Beach to Reach Semis". tennisnow.com. February 21, 2020. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
4. "Brandon Nakashima upsets Paolo Lorenzi at the 2020 US Open". US Open. August 31, 2020. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
5. "BRANDON NAKASHIMA IMPRESSES IN FOUR-SET LOSS TO ALEXANDER ZVEREV". Tennis Magazine . September 2, 2020. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
6. "Nakashima On Cusp Of Wimbledon Main Draw". ATP Tour. June 23, 2021. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
7. "19-Year-Old Nakashima Completes Impressive Qualifying Run at Wimbledon". tennisnow.com. June 24, 2021. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
8. "The 21 & Under Club in '21: Brandon Nakashima". Archived from the original on November 19, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
9. "Fritz's Road From A Wheelchair In Paris To The Wimbledon Second Round". ATP Tour. June 30, 2021. Archived from the original on July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
10. "Isner Growing In Confidence, Reaches Los Cabos Semi-finals". ATP Tour. July 23, 2021. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
11. "19 Y.O. Nakashima Or Norrie To Become First-Time ATP Tour Titlist In Los Cabos". ATP Tour. July 24, 2021. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
12. "Fifth Time's The Charm: Norrie Wins First ATP Tour Title In Los Cabos". ATP Tour. July 25, 2021. Archived from the original on September 1, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
13. "Isner Serves Revenge Against Nakashima, Wins Sixth Atlanta Title". ATP Tour. August 2, 2021. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
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15. "Schwartzman Seals SF Spot In Antwerp". ATP Tour. October 22, 2021. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
16. "Nakashima Stamps Ticket for Milan". Next Generation ATP Finals . October 30, 2021. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
17. "Brandon Nakashima dominates first match of Next Gen Finals". NBC Sports . Associated Press. November 9, 2021. Archived from the original on July 4, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
18. "Nakashima Earns Rune Victory To Reach Milan SFs". Association of Tennis Professionals. November 11, 2021. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
19. "Korda beats Nakashima in semifinal at Next Gen finals". The Sports Network . The Canadian Press. November 12, 2021. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
20. "Five #NextGenATP Stars Nominated For Newcomer Of The Year In 2021 Awards". Association of Tennis Professionals. December 3, 2021. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
21. "French Open 2022: Alexander Zverev into fourth round". Eurosport. May 27, 2022.
22. "Brandon Nakashima, Taylor Fritz Continue Historic Wimbledon For American Men | ATP Tour | Tennis". ATP Tour. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
23. Herman, Martyn (July 4, 2022). "All quiet on Centre Court as calm Kyrgios beats Nakashima". Reuters. Archived from the original on July 11, 2022. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
24. "Home, Sweet Home: Brandon Nakashima to Play for First ATP Title in San Diego". Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
25. "Hometown Hero: Nakashima Wins First ATP Title In Native San Diego". Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
26. "Brandon Nakashima: First-Time Winner Spotlight | ATP Tour | Tennis". Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
27. "Brandon Nakashima Sets Jiri Lehecka Final in Milan | ATP Tour | Tennis". Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
28. "Nakashima Lehecka Milan 2022 Final | Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals | Tennis". Archived from the original on November 13, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
29. "Brandon Nakashima: 'My Time Will Come' | ATP Tour | Tennis". Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
30. "Casper Ruud Through in Shanghai, Brandon Nakashima Beats Holger Rune | ATP Tour | Tennis". Archived from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
31. "Mensik, Fognini among Indian Wells WCs". March 1, 2024. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
32. https://twitter.com/TennisTV/status/1780244116623802866
33. "Nakashima sinks Rublev in Barcelona upset". April 16, 2024.
34. "The resurgence of Brandon Nakashima". April 16, 2024.
35. "World TeamTennis Adds Stars Tiafoe, Puig, Roanic, Bouchard, & Sock As Rosters Set For 2020". WTT.com. June 16, 2020. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
36. "Player Bio: Personal. Brandon Nakashima". ATP Tour. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
37. "Brandon Nakashima: 'I Want To Show That I Belong With The Top Guys' | ATP Tour | Tennis". ATP Tour. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
38. "Shanghai: Brandon Nakashima blitzes Holger Rune for first Top 10 win; Safiullin ousts Zverev". Tennis.com. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
39. "Barcelona Open: Nakashima ousts Rublev in first round". Sportstar. April 16, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.

External links

• Brandon Nakashima at the Association of Tennis Professionals
• Brandon Nakashima at the International Tennis Federation